How effective is instagram for business

How effective is instagram for business?

With the onset of Instagram as a top-notch social media platform business have now come up with posts marketing their venture.

Another trend which you can see on Instagram is that there are sponsored Ads of certain companies which when clicked upon redirects you to the website of the business.

Instagram not only allows you to share photos of your listed products, but also helps to get into a partnership with brand promoters, come up with a user developed content strategy and other methods driving your eCommerce sales.

Instagram is currently used by millions of people worldwide, and for a good reason: taking pictures and sharing them with your friends has never been easier! However, Instagram can be used in a very effective manner, not only for networking but for marketing purposes as well. If you have a business and you would like to promote it in the online environment, then this can be a great promotion tool. Having said that, here are 5 of the best ways to effectively use Instagram:

How Can Hashtags Work Like Magic?

Twitter uses them, Instagram uses them and recently, Facebook has implemented hashtags as well. As a matter of fact, Instagram users interact mainly via hashtags, this is why you need to learn how to use them in your best interest. This aspect can be particularly useful for businesses who are looking for followers, as it allows them to make their content searchable and it will also trigger a viral effect that will benefit the business in the long run.

Can Photos And Videos Tell my Story?

A photo can be worth a thousand words, and everybody knows that. Instagram is all about photos, but taking random photos will not take you very far, especially if you plan to use Instagram mainly for marketing purposes. One of the best, fastest and easiest ways to increase brand awareness and to boost sales is to post pictures of your product on a constant basis: they do not even have to be professional, they just need to highlight the main features and functions of the product in question and to appeal to the wide audience.

Same goes for videos: you can share videos with your employees in action, or you can make live product reviews. Regardless of your choice, videos and pictures are very likely to go viral, as people love media files more than text and they are likely to remember them over the years. If you own a new business and you want to make a name for yourself, then pictures and videos will surely come in handy!

Are Contests important?

People love freebies, discounts and all sorts of promotional offers, this is why you can never go wrong with a contest. A contest is a win-win: your customers will get a free product or service, while you get the chance to increase brand recognition. One great way to use Instagram for contests is to encourage people to share their own pictures of your product, and to reward the most suggestive or original picture. At the same time, you can use various tools that allow you to easily embed an Instagram feed or a hashtag feed into your website.

Can I Keep Tracks Of My Success?

Tracking the success of your Instagram marketing campaign is essential. Fortunately, there are many comprehensive and user-friendly applications that allow you to track the customer growth, to see which are your most popular posts, to determine when is the right time to post content and so on. As irrelevant as these details may seem at first sight, they can actually make a difference.

How Effective is Connecting With My Users?

Keeping in touch with your customers is important, especially for small and medium enterprises who have a limited target market. You can show your customers that you care about their feedback by simply replying to their comments or questions. This will not only attract user-generated content, but it will also improve credibility and increase the visibility of your business. Do not underestimate the power of your Instagram followers, as they can contribute to the success of your business!

When discussing the use of social media as a marketing tool for business, generally it is only the big names such as Facebook and Twitter that grab the spotlight. The reasons are obvious. They are the most popular social media platforms with a fan following running into millions. Which entrepreneur wouldn’t want to capitalize on such an expansive following for his business?

However, there are many more lesser-known social platforms that do equally well to promote your business in the online marketplace. Instagram is one to name. Instagram offers you an easy way to not only grow your business but also to reach your targeted audience. This article discusses why your business should leverage Instagram as a marketing tool.

There Are More Active Users Than You Think

Instagram has managed to earn more than 150 million active users. The number might still be smaller than that of the two social media biggies mentioned at the start, but what must be noted is the time period in which it has managed such growth. It made its debut only in 2010; so, that is truly commendable. It also shows promise for future growth.

The Business-Like Feel

If compared Facebook and Twitter tend to be more personal. Instagram has a business feel to it. This is where 70% of the world’s leading brands play. It means some serious business. A survey showed that Instagram users tend to share, like and comment on brand postings far more often than that observed on other social media sites.

Visual Appeal

The ability to share stories and experiences visually through visual content is also a factor that continues to add users to this social site. Consumers prefer visual content because it is easier to read, understand and share rather than having to sift through pages and pages of content. On Instagram, you can post high quality photographs and videos that are authentic to your business.

You can use such visual content to tell the story of your business and to build a personality for your business. You can use it to showcase what happens behind the scenes adding transparency to your business.

Flexibility in Editing

With Instagram, you do not only have an opportunity to upload original photos and videos, but also edit them to make them most relevant to your business. The filters allow you to add the effects you want by playing with colors, vignettes and lines. All this can help establish a strong brand appeal for your business without really costing you much.

It Is For All Businesses?

When you consider Instagram and the visual content it works with, the first thing that comes to mind is that it is best suited for product-based companies. They could possibly put up photographs of the products they are selling or product demo videos. The use of Instagram is not restricted to a particular business. Product and service-based businesses can use this social media platform alike. How you use it relies heavily on your creative ability.

Above all, it is a fun way to go about promoting your business. You can use user-generated content to your advantage, track your analytics and drive more and more traffic to your business.